R.I. sees sharp decline in the number of uninsured children

A new report lauds Rhode Island as a leader in children’s health-care coverage, noting a 38.5 percent drop in the number of uninsured children in the state from 2013 to 2014.

“We are fortunate to have leaders in Rhode Island who are committed to health coverage for children and families,” Elizabeth Burke Bryant, the executive director of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, wrote in a statement. “...Comprehensive children’s health coverage is the cornerstone of overall health and well-being.”

In 2014 there were about 7,000 uninsured children, a sharp decline from 2013, where about 12,000 children were reportedly uninsured, according to the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families study.

The report, which was released on Wednesday, attributes the historically low rate of uninsurance among children to 2014’s Affordable Care Act. Nationally just 6 percent of children are uninsured, according to the report.

The report also praises Rhode Island’s RIte Care program — a medicaid managed program for families.

“When children have healthcare coverage, they are able to get the preventative care they need to stay healthy and show up for school ready to learn,” Joan Alker, executive director at the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families wrote in a statement.

Children with coverage are less likely to drop out of school and are more likely to graduate from college, according to the report.